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and the shadows of Peter put death to flight; so indeed also here the sandals of these children extinguished the power of the fire. I do not know how to say it; for the wonder surpasses every telling of words; for indeed its power was extinguished, and it was not extinguished. For when it came into contact with the bodies of those saints, it was extinguished; but when it had to break the bonds, it was not extinguished; at any rate, it broke the bonds, and did not touch their ankles. Did you see how close it was, and the fire was not deceived, nor did it dare to proceed further than the bonds? And for what reason did he bind them, when he was about to cast them in? So that the wonder might be greater; so that the sign might be shown to be more marvelous; so that you might not think what was seen to be a deception of the eyes. For if that fire were not fire, it would not have consumed the bonds, it would not have snatched those sitting outside; but now it demonstrated its power on those outside, and it showed its obedience on those inside. And when the tyrant saw that the children had suffered no harm, hear how he changed; Servants of the Most High God, come forth and come here, 63.603 he says. Was it not a short time ago he was saying, And what God is there who will be able to deliver you from my hands? What has happened? Whence this change? You saw those outside destroyed, and you call those inside? Whence did it occur to you to philosophize thus? Did you see what a great change came over the king? For this reason God also allowed all to happen that the tyrant wished, so that He might show that no one will be able to harm those guarded by Him. For he did this also in the case of Job; he allowed the devil to display all his power, and when he had emptied all his arrows, and no manner of plotting was left, then He raised the athlete from the wrestling-ground, so that the victory might be brilliant and indisputable. But also the blessed Paul, who enlightened the whole world, was once blinded at the time of his calling; but his blinding became the enlightenment of the world. For since he saw badly, God rightly blinded him, so that he might see again usefully; and since he was persecuting the Church exceedingly, and was so vehement and unapproachable, he receives the bridle more vehemently, lest being carried away by the rush of that zeal, he might disregard what was being said; and so that he might learn against whom he was warring, whom he is unable to endure not only when He punishes, but even when He bestows benefits. For darkness did not blind him, but an excess of light darkened him. And what of Peter? Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, it says, Jesus asked him to put out a little from the land. Do you see how He who has no need of a boat gets into the boat, so that He might gain the master of the boat? For why does the Lord also ask Simon? Why did Simon, having toiled all night and accomplished nothing, remain unsuccessful? And he was very vexed, washing the nets with empty hands, and adding toil to toil, and having nothing to provide, he was despondent. For this reason, the Lord, seeing him sullen, says to him: Lend me your little boat for a short while, sailor, so that having entered, I may teach this crowd that you see following me. But Simon, still plunged in the grief of his failure, says to the Lord: Where have you come from, man? Why are you a bother to me? Look for another vessel, if you wish to linger by the lake. You see me grieving, as one who lacks bread, and you promise to supply the word of God? Should I not look about for where I might borrow money, so that I may feed my mother-in-law, and my wife? But I should furnish you my little boat, so that during the day, as during the night, I might labor in vain? If you bring a fare, get on my boat; but if you carry none, go away, I beg you; for a gift, not a word, feeds me. But the Lord to him: Do not be vexed, Simon; truly you speak as a sailor; do not consider my presence a loss, but rather abundance, than want. Hearing these things, Simon, and with his face slightly cheered by the hope of receiving pay, receives the Lord in the boat. But Jesus, having sat down, it says, was teaching the crowds from the boat; but Simon, listening, began to grumble, and to say to himself: From this man I expect to receive pay? On top of a day-and-night loss

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καὶ αἱ σκιαὶ Πέτρου θάνατον ἐφυγάδευον· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τῶν παίδων τούτων τὰ ὑποδήματα τὴν τοῦ πυρὸς δύναμιν ἔσβεσαν. Οὐκ οἶδα πῶς εἴπω· τὸ γὰρ θαῦμα πᾶσαν ὑπερβαίνει λόγου διήγησιν· καὶ γὰρ ἔσβεστο ἡ ἐνέργεια, καὶ οὐκ ἔσβεστο. Ὅτε μὲν γὰρ τοῖς σώμασιν ὡμίλει τῶν ἁγίων ἐκείνων, ἔσβεστο· ὅτε δὲ διαῤῥῆξαι τὰ δεσμὰ ἔδει, οὐκ ἔσβεστο· τὰ γοῦν δεσμὰ διέῤῥηξε, καὶ τῶν ἀστραγάλων οὐχ ἥψατο. Εἶδες πόση ἡ ἐγγύτης, καὶ οὐκ ἠπατήθη τὸ πῦρ, οὐδὲ ἐνδοτέρω τῶν δεσμῶν προελθεῖν ἐτόλμησε; Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν ἔδησεν ἐμβαλεῖν μέλλων; Ἵνα μεῖζον τὸ θαῦμα γένηται· ἵνα παραδοξότερον τὸ σημεῖον δειχθῇ· ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς ὀφθαλμῶν ἀπάτην εἶναι τὰ ὁρώμενα. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ πῦρ ἦν ἐκεῖνο τὸ πῦρ, οὐκ ἂν τὰ δεσμὰ κατέφαγεν, οὐκ ἂν αὐτοὺς ἔξω καθημένους ἥρπασε· νῦν δὲ ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἔξω τὴν δύναμιν ἐπεδείξατο, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἔνδον τὴν ὑπακοὴν ἔδειξε. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ εἶδεν ὁ τύραννος τοὺς παῖδας μηδὲν παθόντας δεινὸν, ἄκουσον πῶς μετεβάλετο· Οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, ἐξέλθετε, καὶ δεῦτε, 63.603 φησίν. Οὐ πρὸ βραχέος ἔλεγε, Καὶ τίς ἐστι Θεὸς, ὃς δυνήσεται ἐξελέσθαι ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν μου; Τί γέγονε; πόθεν ἡ μεταβολὴ αὕτη; τοὺς ἔξω διαφθαρέντας εἶδες, καὶ τοὺς ἔνδον καλεῖς; πόθεν ἐπῆλθέ σοι τοιαῦτα φιλοσοφεῖν; εἶδες πόση μεταβολὴ τῷ βασιλεῖ γέγονε; διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Θεὸς συνεχώρησεν ἅπαντα γενέσθαι, ὅσα ὁ τύραννος ἠθέλησεν, ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ φυλαττομένους οὐδεὶς παραβλάψαι δυνήσεται. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ τοῦτο ἐποίησεν· ἀφῆκε τὸν διάβολον πᾶσαν αὑτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν ἐπιδείξασθαι, καὶ ὅτε ἐκένωσε τὰ βέλη πάντα, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπιβουλῆς ἐλείπετο τρόπος, τότε ἀνεβίβασε τὸν ἀθλητὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σκάμματος, ἵνα λαμπρὰ καὶ ἀναμφισβήτητος ἡ νίκη γένηται. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, ὁ τὴν οἰκουμένην φωτίσας πᾶσαν, ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς κλήσεως ἐτυφλώθη ποτέ· ἀλλ' ἡ πήρωσις ἐκείνου φωτισμὸς τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐγένετο. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔβλεπε κακῶς, ἐπήρωσεν αὐτὸν, καλῶς ὁ Θεὸς, ὥστε ἀναβλέψαι χρησίμως· καὶ ἐπειδὴ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἐδίωκε τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ οὕτω σφοδρὸς ἦν καὶ ἀπρόσιτος, σφοδρότερον δέχεται τὸν χαλινὸν, ἵνα μὴ τῇ ῥύμῃ τῆς προθυμίας ἐκείνης ἀγόμενος, παρακούσῃ τῶν λεγομένων· καὶ ἵνα μάθῃ τίνα πολεμεῖ, ὃν οὐ μόνον κολάζοντα, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ εὐεργετοῦντα ἐνεγκεῖν δύναται. Οὐ γὰρ σκότος αὐτὸν ἐπήρωσεν, ἀλλ' ὑπερβολὴ φωτὸς αὐτὸν ἐσκότισε. Τί δὲ ὁ Πέτρος; Ἐμβὰς, φησὶν, ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς ἓν τῶν πλοίων τοῦ Σίμωνος, ἠρώτησεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἐπαναγαγεῖν ὀλίγον. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐπεμβαίνει τῷ πλοίῳ ὁ μὴ χρῄζων πλοίου, ἵνα τὸν τοῦ πλοίου ∆εσπότην κερδάνῃ; ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ καὶ παρακαλεῖ τὸν Σίμονα ὁ Κύριος; διὰ τί ὁ Σίμων διὰ πάσης τῆς νυκτὸς κοπιάσας, καὶ μηδὲν ἀνύσας, ἄπρακτος ἔμεινεν; Ἐδυσφόρει δὲ σφόδρα κεναῖς χερσὶν ἀποπλύνων τὰ δίκτυα, καὶ κόπον κόπῳ συνάπτων, καὶ μηδὲν πορίσασθαι ἔχων, ἠθύμει. Τούτου χάριν ὁ Κύριος θεωρήσας αὐτὸν καταστυγνάσαντα, φησὶ πρὸς αὐτόν· Μικρόν μοι δάνεισον τὸ πλοιάριόν σου, ναῦτα, ὅπως εἰσελθὼν, διδάξω ὅπερ βλέπεις κατακολουθοῦν μοι πλῆθος. Ὁ δὲ Σίμων ἔτι βεβαπτισμένος τῇ λύπῃ τῆς ἀποτυχίας, φησὶ πρὸς τὸν Κύριον· Πόθεν παραγέγονας, ἄνθρωπε; τί μοι δι' ὄχλου γίνῃ; ἄλλην περίβλεψαι σκάφην, εἴ γε βούλει τὴν λίμνην περιαυλίζεσθαι. Ὁρᾷς με πενθοῦντα, ὡς ἄρτου μὴ εὐποροῦντα, καὶ λόγον Θεοῦ χορηγεῖν ἐπαγγέλλῃ; οὐ περιβλέψομαι πόθεν ἀργύρια δανείσομαι, ἵνα τὴν πενθεράν μου, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκά μου θρέψω; Ἀλλά σοι τὸ πλοιάριον ὑποστρώσω, ἵνα καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν, ὡς τὴν νύκτα, ματαιοπονήσω; Εἰ ἐπιφέρῃ ναῦλον, ἐπίβηθί μου τῷ πλοίῳ· εἰ δὲ μὴ βαστάζεις, ἄπελθε, παρακαλῶ· ἐμὲ γὰρ δόσις, οὐ λόγος τρέφει. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος πρὸς αὐτόν· Μὴ δυσχέραινε, Σίμων· ὄντως ὡς ναύτης λαλεῖς· μή μου ζημίαν τὴν παρουσίαν ἡγήσῃ, ἀλλ' εὐπορίαν μᾶλλον, ἢ ἀπορίαν. Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Σίμων, καὶ τῇ ἐλπίδι τῆς μισθαποληψίας μικρὸν ἱλαρυνθεὶς τῷ προσώπῳ, ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ τὸν Κύριον ὑποδέχεται. Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς, Καθίσας, φησὶν, ἐδίδασκεν ἐκ τοῦ πλοίου τοὺς ὄχλους· ὁ δὲ Σίμων ἀκούων ἤρξατο γογγύζειν, καὶ λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ· Παρὰ τούτου μισθὸν προσδοκῶ λαβεῖν; ἐπὶ ζημίᾳ νυχθημερινῇ